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N.L. settles with man who was sexually abused by his social worker as a teen

The Mount Cashel orphanage is shown in a 1989 photo. (Andrew Vaughan / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

The Canadian Press
Published Thursday, January 11, 2018 9:13AM EST
Last Updated Thursday, January 11, 2018 9:51AM EST

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. -- The lawyer for a former resident of the Mount Cashel orphanage who was sexually abused by his social worker says she has reached a settlement with the government of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Lynn Moore says the province admitted liability for the 1986 abuse and agreed to pay $750,000 to the man, who is now in his 40s.

Moore says her client was around 14 when he was lured into the home of a social worker in St. John's, plied with alcohol and sexually abused "in a really invasive way."

She says the victim, known as John Doe, was a resident of the Christian Brothers orphanage and was supposed to be getting support from the social worker, who has since died.

Moore says the case was an extreme violation of trust involving a young boy and a person in a position of power.

She says her client has struggled with mental health issues linked to the abuse, but that she hopes the government's acknowledgment of responsibility and the payment provide him with "a fresh start."